AP Govt Will Extend Help To Family Members Of Eluru Accident Victims

AMARAVATI: Minister of Labour, Employment, Training and Factories Gummanur Jayaram on Thursday expressed shock over the death of six workers killed in the Porus Laboratories accident. Responding to the incident, the Minister said that the Government will extend all help to the family members of the victims and legal action would be taken against those responsible for the accident.

 At least six workers were charred to death and 12 others grievously injured when a reactor in a chemical factory at Akkireddigudem village in the new Eluru district of Andhra Pradesh, blew up and caused a fire in the wee hours of Thursday.

The Minister spoke to the local MLA  and the Eluru district Collector V Prasanna Venkatesh and reviewed the accident situation. He directed the concerned officers and staff to take immediate relief measures. The minister directed officials to shift the injured to private hospitals for better treatment. Authorities were instructed to investigate the cause of the accident and give a full report.

The Collector said a preliminary investigation would be conducted and ordered an immediate shutdown of the Porus Laboratories unit pending a detailed investigation. The Collecter said that they would probe all angles which led to the accident. We need to see if high pressure caused the reactor to explode or whether hazardous chemicals were being used or if the company violated any rules of the plant, he said.

As per reports, more than 50 workers were at work on the night shift on Wednesday when the mishap occurred in unit-4, killing at least five on the spot. Another worker succumbed while being taken to hospital in Nuzividu. Four of the deceased were said to be natives of Bihar. State Disaster Response and Fire Services personnel, as well as NDRF men, carried out the rescue and relief operations. The fire was doused in a couple of hours and the situation was normalized.

Expressing shock over the incident Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy while the state government announced an ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh each to the kin of the deceased, and the factory management too would pay an equal amount. The state government also announced Rs 5 lakh each to the seriously injured and Rs 2 lakh each to those whose injuries were less grievous. The company would pay for those injured in the accident as long as they are being treated.     

Also Read: Eluru Porus Lab Fire Claims Six Lives